Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia was founded in October 1918 as one of the successor states of Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of WWI. It consisted of the present-day territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and (until 1939/29 June 1945) Carpathian Ruthenia (briefly independent as Carpatho-Ukraine).

Czechoslovakia ceased to exist in March 1939, when Hitler occupied the Czech lands and (the remaining) Slovakia declared independence. During WWII, the Czech lands were designated the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and were ruled directly by the German state. The newly independent Slovak Republic became an ally of Nazi Germany.

After World War II, pre-war Czechoslovakia was reestablished. Carpathian Ruthenia was occupied by (and in June 1945 formally ceded to) the Soviet Union. The country became a member of Socialist Bloc.

In 1989, Czechoslovakia became democratic through the Velvet Revolution. In 1992 the growing nationalist tensions led to dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Rebublic and Slovakia, as of January 1, 1993.